Pearls and Pirates
by ofsilver
Summary: Jack receives a mysterious and surprising offer from the man who built his beloved Pearl. What is even more unexpected: he'll be going on one of the most dangerous adventures of his life with the shipbuilder's daughter.
1. Lorelai Peters

Disclaimer: So, I don't own anything pirate-related besides a pirates poster. So...don't sue me and stuff and legality blah blah.

AN: So, I hope everyone likes this story. I write another one called Old Nights and New Days if you enjoy this one. And umm...review and let me know what you think. Wow, I'm boring today with these disclaimers and whatnot.

Chapter One: Lorelai Peters

Jack was a practiced hoverer. It was an especially useful talent in the town of Port Royal, and even more useful when he wanted to watch the arrival of Norrington's latest captive. It was rumored that a major captain had been caught the week before, and Jack had his hopes set on it being that blighted Cording. He'd beaten Jack out to a substantial gold trove last fall, and there was no love lost between them.

So, he found himself on the edge of a large crowd near the docks that included everyone from society's finest to the beggars who lived on the back streets. He was positioning himself behind a woman with a particularly large hat when there was a sudden shift in the crowd. It was parting in a line that ran to where he was. Jack had a momentary fear that a group of the military officers present had spotted him despite his attempts to remain hidden, and prepared to turn away when something touched him lightly on the shoulder.

He turned back to face a rider on a dark colored horse. It was a woman, sitting side saddle. Her riding crop rested on his shoulder, and the faint scent of oiled leather drifted from it to his nose. She lowered it as he turned back to face her. The woman slid down from her horse in a elegant flood of expensive skirts and held out her hand, her face still hidden under the brim of her wide black hat.

"Captain Sparrow?" she said, half a question, half a statement.

"Aye.." Jack was suspicious. He glanced down at her hand as he took it, and stared for a moment. An oversize ring wrapped around her index finger, and bore a familiar mark. A ship with four sails was engraved on the band, and a letter was inside each sail. MMHP.

Mason, Mayle, Harrison, Peters; some of the most famous ship builders in the world.

"I thought so." She inclined her head slightly in greeting, and the red feather on her hat waved. "I'm Lorelai Peters."

Peters' daughter? Granddaughter? He still couldn't see her face clearly enough to judge her age. Only the end of her nose and her mouth, smiling graciously, showed under the huge hat brim. Her horse snorted, and she tapped it gently with the crop, silencing it. Only then did she push the hat away slightly, and he saw that she looked maybe twenty five. She had the aristocratic nose that he associated with Elizabeth, very straight and thin, and intelligent eyes. They looked dark, shadowed too much under the brim to tell what color.

"Nice to meet you Miss Peters." Jack couldn't really think of anything to say to her. What did she want anyway? He hoped she would say something soon, because he had no idea where the conversation would go otherwise. Luckily, she was better prepared than him.

"I've been trying to track you down for several months, Captain. You are exceedingly difficult to find."

"Norrington's found that too," Jack said. He hoped she wasn't a staunch supporter of the navy. She only laughed.

"Norrington and everyone else in the Caribbean. I've been through every tavern in Port Royal trying to catch a bit of gossip about where you're sailing these days."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "And who blabbed?"

"Your first mate, just yesterday evening, in The Gull's Wing. Gibbs is his name?"

The pirate muttered something under his breath that she didn't catch, but it didn't sound promising for Gibbs. She spoke quickly. "Don't be too harsh on him yet, his loose tongue may do you a great deal of good. You see, my reasons for tracking you are quite…profitable."

"Profitable?"

Jack's interest had grown considerably, and he eagerly awaited an explanation, but there was something more pressing happening at the moment. The crowd had turned suddenly. Neither had noticed it as they spoke, but Lorelai turned as her horse snorted and shied to the side.

"-got away. Norrington's piping mad. Here he comes now." Snippets of conversation blurred in Jack's ears, and he noticed a group of suspiciously similar red coats appearing in the crowd. Naval looking red coats.

"Not to worry, good people. We shall rid the port of one criminal today! If I'm not mistaken, the infamous Jack Sparrow has decided to make a visit to our esteemed city."

Jack spotted Norrington in the crowd to his left, and was about to try and run for it when he felt a pull on the fabric of his jacket. Lorelai was back on her horse, sitting astride this time, her skirts awkwardly rumpled. She tugged at him more sharply.

"Come on!" she hissed. "D'you want to be on the gallows? Step up on the stirrup!"

Jack crammed his foot over hers into the narrow stirrup and swumg cumbersomely up behind her. The sound of the crop on her horse was a resounding slap as they broke through the crowd at a canter. Despite the unfortunate and dangerous situation at present, thoughts of alternate uses for the crop popped into Jack's mind. He forced himself to be serious; the last thing he wanted was this Lorelai Peters shoving him off the back of the horse to meet Norrington and his men.

They rode recklessly through the narrow back streets of Port Royal for several minutes, and eventually the sounds of the naval pursuit faded away. Shortly, Lorelai pulled up outside the gates of a sugar plantation. She dug through her pockets and her hand emerged with a long key, which she shoved into Jack's hand. "Open the gates."

Jack got off, just as awkwardly, and unlocked the gates, swinging them open on silent hinges. Lorelai rode through and waited while he locked them again, then slipped off her horse and walked with Jack as they made their way up a sloped path. They were silent for a moment, the rustle of sugar canes punctuated by the blowing breath of the horse. Reaching the top of the hill finally, Jack saw they were looking down slightly at an immense white plantation house. Lorelai gave over the reins of her horse to the groom that had appeared unnoticed, patting the animal's damp shoulder and slipping it something from her pocket, then turned back to Jack.

"Come on," she said, smiling. "My father will be expecting you."

AN: Okay, chapter one! More adventure and whatnot to come, haha.


	2. Builder of the Pearl

Disclaimer: I...don't own stuff. The end.

AN: Glad to see people are reading and liking this! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Two: Builder of the Pearl

"Your father?" Jack repeated as they followed a stone path toward the door.

"Yes. Martin Peters is my father. I thought perhaps you'd heard of him, and-"

"I 'have," Jack cut her off. "Mason, Mayle, Harrison, Peters, eh?"

"Indeed." She paused. "And I know what you're thinking. I'm too young to be his daughter. I was born late, he was forty-five. My mother was his second wife."

Was. Her mother was dead then. Jack didn't ask to affirm it. He waited for her to say something more.

"Do you know that my father built the Black Pearl Captain?"

Jack stopped dead on the path, right in the middle of the pristinely manicured lawn. He had never known who built his beloved ship. It had died a mystery, along with Jim Jenkins. Jim had been something of a mentor to Jack, and they had sailed together from the time when Jack was barely a teenager until Jim's death some twenty years ago. Jack had been the first mate by then, and the Pearl had come to him.

"My father and Bart Mason had the Pearl built- it was the first one ever commissioned by the firm, then they sold it to Jim Jenkins."

"Your father and Mason sold ships to pirates?"

"Still do. Through an agent now, obviously. They have to protect their reputation with the navy and the merchants. Bill Harrington and Andrew Mayle aren't as keen on it as Bart and my father, but they're something of junior partners, so they're usually overruled." Lorelai laughed lightly. "My father would be a pirate if he could."

It was massive information overload for Jack. Not only had he discovered the makers of his ship, but he'd also learned that some of the richest men in Port Royal had underground dealings with pirates. He barely noticed when Lorelai began walking towards the house again, and he followed absently. They bypassed the perfectly white painted porch and entered the cool dimness of the house, Lorelai leading the way to a room near the back. It was lighter here, and a man could be seen on the far side of the room, looking over a sheaf of papers. Jack stayed back slightly as Lorelai entered. She bent and gave the man a kiss on the cheek

"Hullo dear," the man said. His voice was pleasantly cultivated. "Did you find-"

"Dad! Of course I found him. Come in Captain."

Jack entered the room and strode across to where the man was sitting. He wore a white linen suit, and there was a silver headed cane leaning on the arm of his wing chair. "Martin Peters." He extended a blunt hand to Jack, a similar gesture to the one his daughter

had made earlier. "It's a pleasure Captain Sparrow."

Jack's ringed had met his for a moment, and he nodded. "The same, sir. I understand you're the man responsible for my Pearl."

Martin smiled. "So I am. She was a fine ship, if I recall correctly. One of the best my firm has ever built."

"Very fine. If I could ask, why did your daughter-"

"It's bloody Norrington!"

Neither man had noticed Lorelai's brief disappearance, and her return was even more unexpected.

"What?" Martin gripped the head of his cane.

"I found him at the docks, and Norrington was there. He almost caught us." Lorelai was speaking very fast.

"He saw you with him?!"

"Yes." She saw the disgust on her father's face. "It was the only way Dad-"

"I understand."

"I'll go upstairs and change, so he can't be sure he saw me. The hat hid my face. And Captain, come with me."

Jack stood still for a split second. She had invited him to come upstairs while she changed. In front of her father. There was a pause while both Peters stared at him.

"Well, go!" Martin said finally.

Lorelai grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him out of the room and up the curved staircase in the hall. They rushed down a corridor, and swerved into a room near the end. Lorelai rummaged through a drawer and Jack watched her for a moment, then went to the window. A group of naval officers was coming down the neat stone path. They were quite close. When he turned back, she had stepped behind a screen in the corner, and a rustle of fabric could be heard.

She stepped out shortly, dressed in summery striped white instead of the dark dress of before, pulling out the pins that had held her hair up. As it fell loose, she snatched a comb from the vanity and shoved it through her hair, watching the men mount the porch. They both listened as the heavy boots clunked into the house. Jack watched her finish combing her hair. Now that her face was unimpeded, he saw that her eyes were bright blue, not dark as he'd thought. She had light, gold streaked brown hair that nearly matched the tone of her skin. Her face was aristocratic, but not haughty. Lovely girl, Jack decided, as he did about many women.

Lorelai turned back to him, her eyes seeming a bit frenzied. "Here, umm," she opened up her wardrobe and pushed aside a mass of hanging clothes. "Just…sit in here until I come back."

Jack gave her a skeptical eyebrow raise, but she had saved his arse once before today, so he got inside and sat among the hems of her expensive gowns. She closed the door, and he sat in darkness and listened to her leave the room.

AN: Hope you all liked this! Drop a review if you feel so inclined.


	3. Norrington and the Navy

Disclaimer: I don't own any pirate-y things, stuff, etc.

AN: First of all, go see 300 because otherwise you will never be prepared for glory. More importantly, thanks to those who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy the following chapter.

Chapter Three: Norrington and the Navy

"-and we are near positive that it was your daughter, Mr. Peters."

Lorelai returned downstairs to these words. Norrington and five or six other naval officers were standing in the little sitting room, crowding around her father's chair. He hadn't even risen for them. Martin Peters often handled contracts for the Navy, but he had a healthy disrespect for them as well. The older man was reclining in the same chair Lorelai and Jack had left him in, although the grip on the head of his cane was white knuckled.

"I am near positive that you didn't see my daughter this morning. Describe the person you saw."

"She wore a dark colored dress, sir, and a hat," one of the officers put in.

"Well, hello gentlemen. What an unexpected pleasure." Lorelai finally spoke up,

and all of the officers turned sharply. The one who had just described her gave her clothes a blank stare.

"Lor my dear, have you changed your dress since I saw you at breakfast? I cannot remember." Her father smiled at her gently.

"No. Why would I change just to sit around the house all day? Certainly the people I wrote letters to wouldn't care what I was wearing." Lorelai smiled back.

"Miss Peters," Norrington said formally. "We regret to inform you that we have reason to believe you aided and abetted one Captain Jack Sparrow in his avoidance of our capture this morning. It is our duty to search your home to assure ourselves he is not being harbored here. If you object, we will be forced to obtain a warrant and return."

"I don't see any reason why you cannot search right away, Commodore. Although I do ask that you allow my daughter to accompany you, to make sure your men do not damage any of the many irreplaceable items I have amassed over my lifetime," Martin said civilly.

"All right. You are not to impede our search in any way, Miss Peters."

"Certainly not."

They left Lorelai's father in his chair, still holding the top of his cane, and entered the hallway. The search of the downstairs yielded nothing, of course, and Lorelai followed the men upstairs. The officers worked methodically down the main hallway, through her father's room, the guest rooms, even the hall closet. Finally they reached Lorelai's room. She took a deep breath and opened the door for them.

She was terrified that Jack had gotten tired of waiting in the wardrobe; it had been nearly an hour since she'd left him there. But the room was empty and tidy. A corner of the dark dress was visible outside the drawer she'd crammed it into. Lorelai winced as one of the men walked by, but he missed it. She sidled over to the dresser and hurriedly pressed the corner away. They had searched almost the whole room, it was large but didn't hold many suitable hiding places. One of the things they had yet to examine was the wardrobe, but that was soon to change. Norrington's hand was on the knob. Lorelai rushed over and put her hand over his before he could pull the door open.

"I'm sorry Commodore. Could you please not open that?"

"I told you when we began, you were not to impede our search." Norrington sounded snippy and annoyed.

"I know, and I apologize. It's only, I would prefer not to display my garments to your entire retinue of officers." Lorelai willed herself to look embarrassed. "Also, I assure you that my wardrobe is much too crowded to allow a person to hide themselves inside."

"Miss Peters, you seem to have considered this much too far. Have you ever tried to hide someone in your wardrobe before?"

"Well, no. That would be silly."

"And I am certain that you cannot have anything so mortifying in your collection of clothing that would warrant hindering our search for a dangerous criminal like Captain Sparrow."

Norrington's hand began to turn the handle again, and Lorelai closed her fingers tightly over his, her nails digging neat half moons into his pale skin. The commodore drew back sharply.

"Miss Peters! If you do not stop this silliness immediately, I will ask my men to escort you from the room!"

"And I will refuse to leave. I was not at the docks this morning, Commodore. Your officers described the complete opposite of what I was wearing. There is no plausible reason myself or my father would harbor a criminal! This is foolish. Please remove yourself from my room." Lorelai's lips formed a thin, pale line.

Norrington turned the knob again, and Lorelai, being able to think of nothing else, used both hands to tear his arm away before he could pull back the door. Norrington shook her hands off his sleeve angrily. He turned to two of the men that surrounded them in a small half circle.

"Flagg, Jones, if you would please."

The two men each took one of Lorelai's arms and led her back to the bed, where they made her sit down. She did so, sulking and terrified, and watched as Norrington opened the wardrobe cautiously. They were going to find Jack. After all this time, all this effort to find him, Lorelai risking her safety to bring him back here, they were going to find him.

Norrington pulled open the door, and Lorelai managed to half tear herself away from the officers. She came to a dead stop as he and the others peered in. Norrington shifted the clothes aside, then sighed and closed the door again. The officers released Lorelai and began to turn away. She, on the other hand, stood dumbfounded in the middle of the room as the officers left.

The wardrobe had been empty. Jack Sparrow was missing.

AN: Oh hi cliffhanger, welcome to chapter three. Would you like a drink or something? Right, drop a review if it strikes you to.


	4. The Day You Almost Caught

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own any piratey stuff.

AN: It's snowing today, unfortunately, so I have loads of time to do this update for you. Hope you enjoy, and thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

Chapter Four: The Day You Almost Caught…

Still horrified, Lorelai stood in the center of the room for a moment more before following Norrington and his men downstairs. They had returned to her father's study, and were apparently awaiting her return. After a few seconds in which she sat down roughly in a chair, Norrington addressed Lorelai and her father.

"We were unable to find Captain Sparrow, and therefore must continue our efforts to apprehend him elsewhere. It is my hope, Mr. Peters, Miss Peters, that another occasion will not arise when I must see you in such circumstances. You are both such well respected members of our community." His voice turned suddenly acid. "But do not forget, you are both- and especially you Miss Peters, under our careful observation."

Lorelai sat silently, still shocked from Jack's sudden disappearing act. He couldn't leave! This was bloody important! Her father, on the other hand, was outraged at Norrington's treatment of his daughter. He stood, leaning heavily on the cane, but still a tall and imposing figure.

"You will kindly leave my home now, Commodore. I won't have you accusing my only daughter of crimes like some common beggar." His voice was as acid as Norrington's, slightly muffled by his clenched teeth.

"At any rate," Norrington said coolly, "we are done here. Come along gentlemen."

The group retreated smartly, and Martin returned to his chair, sitting down wearily. He looked over at Lorelai, an unhealthy pale cast under her normally olive-tan skin. His white eyebrows came together, creating wrinkles along his eyes and temples, and he leaned forward towards Lorelai.

"Lor? What's the matter with you?"

Lorelai jerked in her chair as though coming out of a daze. "He's gone. I left him hiding in my wardrobe, and Norrington opened it, and he wasn't there. Dad, after all this time we have the chance and-"

Martin held up a hand to silence her. "He can't be gone. Where would he go?"

"Well, he bally well isn't where I left him!" Lorelai snapped.

Her father didn't flinch. His daughter had always been remarkably short tempered, and he was used to sharp words from her. "Come on then," he said, getting to his feet. "Let's go look for him. I'll do down here, you go upstairs."

They parted ways at the foot of the staircase, and Lor hurried up the winding stairs. She burst into the first room at a near jog, but Jack wasn't there. The next room was the same, and the next. It was like searching with Norrington all over again. She finally returned to her own bedroom. Still no sign of Jack. Lorelai stepped behind the screen to look, and the grating sound of her window opening snapped her to attention. She rounded the screen just in time to see Jack make an awkward leap from the branches of the oak outside her window onto her bed. He bounced off with unexpected grace and landed on his feet on the circular carpet.

Lorelai stared at him. "What were you doing?"

"Staying away from bloody Norrington. Your hiding place didn't turn out so great, now did it?"

She gave him a chilly look. "Well, excuse me, If you'd had a better idea at the time, you should have suggested it."

"Ah, you're mistaken there. You see," Jack waved a graceful finger at her and tapped it briefly on his nose, "If you'd known the plan, you'd have been looking out the window the whole time. Trust me, I have experience with this sort of thing."

Lorelai considered his statement, then nodded. "Well, they've all gone now, so my father will be waiting to speak with you."

They found Martin in the library, peering under the writing desk. He smiled briefly. "Glad to see you didn't venture too far, Captain." All three returned to the study. Lorelai waited until her father and the pirate had found their seats, but remained standing herself.

"Can I get you a drink Captain? Dad?"

"Sherry for me," Martin answered.

Jack grinned. "Rum."

She left them for a few minutes, and returned with a polished tray, which she sat down on the side table. With a trained grace, she handed a glass to her father and poured from one of the decanters the tray held. She gave Jack a second glass and filled it, somewhat of a novelty in his opinion, rum usually came straight from the bottle. Lorelai blinked when he finished it straight off, but silently poured him another. It was disappearing quickly as well.

"Help yourself if you'd like any more, Captain," she said, suppressing a smile. She picked up the slim glass of ice tea that the tray held, splashed a bit of the rum into it, and sat down next to Jack on the sofa, both of them facing her father. Martin cleared his throat and pushed back a piece of his hair that was falling over his forehead. Jack could see the same ring Lorelai wore on her index finger on his right hand as well.

"I didn't send my daughter to find you solely on a whim, Captain Sparrow." His tone was grave, and Jack took a sip of his rum and studied the old man's face. "As you know, my friend Bart Mason and I built the Black Pearl when we were just starting our business. In fact, she was the first ship we ever sold. But do you know where her name came from?" Jack shook his head. "The money that funded the Pearl came from Bart's father, originally a Barbary pirate, who came to the Caribbean. He was dying when we built the Pearl. On his last day alive, we had just finished the ship, and he went onboard to see her. In his will, he wrote to Bart, telling him that he had hidden a map to a treasure from his younger days somewhere on the ship. He called her the finest ship he'd ever seen. And he left Bart a necklace of black pearls that he said came from that very treasure."

Jack was stunned. There had been a map, on his ship, right under his nose, for the better part of thirty years, and he had never known. He finished off his rum and poured another glass quickly as Martin finished his story.

"Bart never married, and he gave the pearls to my second wife. They're Lorelai's now."

Jack's eye caught her hand move to her throat, and turned sharply to look at her. Her neck had been covered by a cape at the port, and he hadn't been paying attention until now. A strand of pure black pearls was double looped around her neck, resting just on her collarbone. Lorelai's fingers remained self-consciously on them for a moment, and dropped away. Jack turned back to Martin, and asked the obvious question.

"So, where's the map?"

AN: Oh hey plot development! So...leave a review if you're enjoying this!


	5. An Accord and Invitation

AN: So, it's been quite a long time. My life is too crazy. Anyhow, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Five: An Accord and Invitation

"If we knew," Lor said, and there was an unexpected hard tone in her voice, "do you not think we would tell you?"

"Well, pardon me, Miss Brilliant, if I didn't-"

Martin cleared his throat, cutting off their argument like a parent with two fighting children. "The obvious solution to this would be to search the ship from top to bottom, which would be a long and unfortunate undertaking at best. In our favor, however, I recently spoke with Bart, and he gave me the happy news that he'd found his father's journal. It does not give an exact location, and neither of us was familiar enough with the ship's layout anymore to understand his allusions. So, we've asked him to attend the party we're having this evening. He can show you the journal then, and hopefully you will be able to locate the map."

"I'm sure I can. I know my Pearl like the back of my hand."

"Wonderful. We will see you at the party this evening then."

Jack paused. "Are you sure I have to come to this party?"

"Well, yes. If you want to see the journal."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence. "Don't you think I would stand out a bit?"

"No matter," Lor said. "We are known for having…unusual guests. Captain Morgan was a long time friend of my father's."

Martin nodded in agreement. "It will be fine."

Jack conceded. "I'll be going back to the Pearl for a while then, to tell the crew and such."

"A moment, Captain." Martin said sharply. "We have yet to discuss the most important detail of the day,"

The pirate sat back again. "What's that?"

"Surely you don't think we are going to allow you to profit from this without any benefit for us. If we hadn't told you of the map, you would have remained oblivious. We aren't asking anything unfair-thirty percent. And that you allow a representative to travel with you to ensure the safe return of our portion."

"A representative? As in?" Jack was quite concerned. Strangers were usually unwelcome on his ship.

"I clearly cannot come with you, Captain." Martin gestured at his cane. "An old man like myself isn't fit for sailing anymore. So I decided, and Lor agreed, that she should be the one who traveled with you."

The silence that followed seemed endless. Jack's mouth was a bit slack, a gold tooth peeking out from the corner. He had nothing against Lor; she'd saved him from Norrington on two occasions already. But on his ship? For an entire voyage? No.

"Now, I don't think that's the way to go about this, Mr. Peters."

"Why not? I've sailed with my father hundreds of times, Captain. Ships aren't strange to me. I wouldn't be any burden to you," Lor pointed out.

"I don't need someone else on my ship. Especially not a woman."

Lor was rather offended, but not surprised. Many of the sailors she'd met through her father shared the bad luck suspicion.

"Plus," Jack continued, "what makes you think having your daughter there would keep me from keeping all the treasure?"

"Because," Martin said, and the tone of his voice showed they'd thought this out well, "if you didn't return with the treasure in the time we plan out later, I would report her kidnapped by you, and you'd have every ship in the Royal Navy chasing you down within minutes."

"I've escaped the Navy before."

'This time you'd have half the merchants in the Caribbean, as well as some pirates you haven't exactly befriended. I know a lot of people Captain Sparrow."

There was a hard, unflinching tone in Martin's voice, one that had made him one of the best businessmen in the Caribbean. He was used to getting his way. He and Lor watched Jack silently, their eyes burning on his skin. The pirate finally nodded in agreement, and shook the hand Martin held out.

"We have an accord."

"Wonderful. I hope you can be prepared to leave Thursday."

Jack nodded again. "I really do need to be getting back now."

"Certainly. We will see you at seven this evening. Lor, why don't you take out the drinks, then wait on the porch? You can walk the captain back to the main road, so he knows how to return this evening. I want to have a word with him in private."

His daughter collected the glasses and carried them away, her polished manners showing in the grace she exited with. Both her father and Jack watched her go, although with very different things in mind. When her footsteps faded in the hall, Martin stood up, hand once more leaning on his cane. Jack stood as well, and they faced each other over the low table in the center of the room.

"I have only one more thing to say to you, Captain. Your…reputation…is not unknown to me. I _will not_ have you mistreat my daughter. If I hear of the slightest impropriety from you when she returns, you will be very, very sorry." He flicked his wrist, and Jack saw that his cane disguised a thin blade. He picked it up carefully, and held it before Jack. "I am an old man, but that doesn't mean I'm helpless. And it means I have very little fear of dying. I have friends as well, Captain, ones who like Lor very much. You will treat my daughter with respect. Is this understood?"

"Clear as glass sir," Jack agreed quickly.

"Wonderful." Martin's previously cheerful tone returned as he screwed the cane back together. "I expect Lor is waiting for you by now. I look forward to seeing you again this evening."

They parted ways, and Jack wandered through the big house to the porch. Lor was sitting in a tall wicker chair waiting.

"What did my father have to say to you?" she asked as they returned down the tidy gravel path.

"Nothing important luv." Jack didn't want to recount his threats, it seemed

unnecessary.

"All right, don't tell me then." Lor laughed. "Tell me why you're in Port Royal instead."

They reached the main street of Port Royal quickly. Jack was an engaging speaker, and Lor was sorry to see him go. She rarely met such people in the dull upper society she was accustomed to, although a few of her father's more unusual friends had been interesting. It was a pleasant surprise when Jack gave her an inebriated bow when they stopped on the corner, and kissed her hand. He was oddly charming. Lor smiled when he straightened up.

"It will be a pleasure to see you again tonight, Captain."

Jack watched her walk away for a while, until she turned a corner. She had an elegant walk, and it accentuated her slim, corseted waist. Maybe having her on the Pearl wouldn't be all bad. "Pleasure seeing you all the time," he muttered, grinning, and began his wandering walk back to the harbor.


	6. Entendre

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Lyrics are from a Scottish folk song called Queen of Argyll.

Chapter Six: Entendre

Jack told Gibbs the news first. The sailor was, unsurprisingly, displeased. His suspicion of women on ships was extremely strong. But Jack refused to let his nervous prattling put a damper on his spirits. The promise of a good treasure always put a spring in his (decidedly off kilter) step. The rest of the crew was informed of the new sailing plan, and Jack dispensed them to various duties involved in preparing the ship for a new voyage. Things were going well, and Jack entered his cabin as the crew bustled above, to get ready for this party he was supposed to attend.

It was past seven when he came up the gravel drive for the second time that day. Carriages were pulled up outside the white porch, and he milled through the crowd of newcomers and into the house. Lor, standing at the top of the curved stair, spotted him before he saw her, and a smile formed on her lips. She had seen him plainly dressed earlier, only his white shirt and a bandana tied over his sloppy hair, but he had apparently gone all out for the occasion this evening. Semi-ridiculous hat, dark blue coat and a fresh coat of kohl around the eyes. A scabbard containing a cutlass sat low on his hips, she hadn't noticed that before either. The unaccountable attraction she felt towards him flared up in her mind for a moment as she came down the stairs to meet him.

Seeing someone on the stairs, Jack turned and saw Lor. He took the opportunity to study her closely. Old Peters had money, that was certain. He dressed up his daughter like some life size porcelain doll. She had traded the afternoon's dress for a formal evening red. He could hear it rustle as she came closer on the steps, then she was at his side.

"Wonderful to see you again, Captain Sparrow. We are nearly sitting down to dinner, if you'll come with me." He followed her down the hall. "You certainly dressed for the occasion." She paused, looking down for a moment. "Very nice sword by the way. Perhaps you could show it to me later, in more detail. You've heard, of course, what people say about men who carry swords?"

Jack raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"They've got a certain talent for the parry and thrust. Would you say that's true of you, Captain?"

Jack wasn't sure what to say. Her tone had been serious, but there was a glimmer of mischief in her eyes, disappearing as quickly as it arrived. No, he was wrong. A lady like this, never. He gave her an answer appropriate to her ambiguous question.

"I have a talent for many things. You'll see a few of them first hand if you're lucky."

"It would be a treat, I'm sure." Lor gave him a small smile as they reached the dining room. About half the seats were full already, and she led him around to the far side of the long table. Martin was already there, talking to a tall, grey haired man with a huge expanse of checked waistcoat. There were still two seats at the table next to Martin. Lor took the one closest to her father, and waved a hand at the next one for Jack, putting him between herself and the grey haired man.

"This is Bart Mason, who we spoke of this afternoon," she said quickly. "Bart, Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Good to meet you, old chap." Bart was a classic Englishman, his cheeks flushed with red. He shook Jack's hand in the same businesslike manner Martin had a few hours before.

"And yourself." Jack smiled, unaware of Lor watching him closely, or of Martin watching his daughter. The older man saw the smile play on the young woman's face as Jack spoke, but couldn't determine if it was a society pleasantry or some appeal she found in him. But it faded, (as Lor became aware of her father's gaze fixed on her) and he thought no more of it. The table had filled, and the first course of dinner was being served.

Living on a ship, food was mind dullingly monotonous, and this was undoubtedly the best meal Jack had eaten in months, maybe years. Delicious soup, something chilled that he couldn't identify, followed by the massive main course, a seemingly endless supply of dishes that streamed in carried by aproned maids. He ate until he thought he'd be unable to move soon.

The diners scattered through the drawing room and study for coffee and tea, and Martin called Jack, Bart and Lor onto the porch with him. Bart showed him the journal containing his father's allusion to the Pearl, and Jack had no trouble identifying what room the map was in.

"Fourth room from the galley…" he paused, counting the doors in his head. "Bloody hell!"

Two Peters and a Mason raised their eyebrows, Lor's over the rim of her teacup.

"The map's been in my cabin for years."

An involuntary laugh echoed back in Lor's drink. Martin and Bart smiled as well. "That narrows the search," Bart said.

"Aye, so it-" Jack began to say something, but a young woman poked her head out the door.

"There you are Lor! Hiding on the porch! Jimmy's here and all ready to play for us. Come in and dance, won't you?"

Lor sat down her cup on a little white table and rose. "All right. Coming in gentlemen?"

The others followed her inside, but the woman who'd come to the porch pulled her ahead. The strains of Irish fiddle could be heard as they approached the drawing room, where all the furniture had been pushed to the corners. A smiling man was playing in the corner, while Lor and a dark haired man of about her age stood on the shining floor in the center of the room, facing each other. Lor's slippered foot tapped in unison with the man's, matching the beat of the music. They began to dance as the fiddler sang.

_Gentlemen it is my duty, to inform you of one beauty_

_Though I'd ask of you a favor not to see her for a while_

_I'd own she is a creature, of character and feature_

_No words can paint the picture of the Queen of Argyll_

The people in the room clapped along to the music, some singing as well, as Lor and the other dancer began a complicated jig that matched the fast beat. Jack was surprised at the practiced grace of it, their feet moving in perfect unison. The woman who'd called Lor away and another man joined the dancers in the center as the chorus began.

_Oh, if you could've seen how fair_

_Boys, if you had just been there_

_The swan was in her movement _

_And the morning' in her smile_

_All the roses in the garden_

_Bow and ask her pardon_

_For not one could match the beauty of the Queen of Argyll_

The dancers switched partners in a graceful twirl, then the first man Lor had danced with and the other woman left the floor. More pairs entered and exited as the chorus played, but Lor remained for the entire song. When it finally concluded, there was a wild applause. Lor pushed the few stray hairs off her flushed cheeks and curtsied gracefully.

"Well played as always, Jimmy," she said, smiling broadly.

"And well danced!" the fiddler called in reply. People were filling the floor now, and he struck up an elegant waltz. Lor joined her father and Jack near the doorway, freeing a hair that was snagged on the loop of pearls at her throat.

"Lovely my dear," Martin said, his face wrinkled with a thousand lines made by his smile.

"I had no idea you could do that," Jack added, laughing.

"I can do a lot of things people don't suspect," Lor answered. More vague statements. She smiled. "I realize you're a pirate, Captain, but does that mean you wouldn't ask a lady to dance?"

Jack offered her his arm and they entered the crush of dancers. Jack didn't know the waltz, piracy didn't require much in the way of formal dancing. Lor was good though, she let him lead while she was the one really making the pattern of the dance. She was a head shorter than Jack, and he glanced down slightly at her, the pearls catching his eyes again. They seemed to draw his attention unnaturally.

"Do you wear them often?" he asked suddenly.

"What, clothes? Usually," Lor said, the flitting smile appearing once more. "There are occasions, though…"

"Really? Must be quite special occasions…"

"I don't know about that." The grin broadened. "It's only common sense not to bathe with clothes on."

Jack was both amused and curious about her suggestive comments all evening. She was a bloody beautiful thing; he couldn't help himself from thinking it, no matter what threats came from her father. He was indecisive about what to do next, and suddenly felt strange. Dizzy, unwell. Not in a drunken way, in a hot, unpleasant, overstuffed way. The room took on a claustrophobic feel, and he was nearly leaning on Lor.

"Are you all right?" Her smile had vanished, replaced by endearing concern.

"I think a bit of air would do me good, luv." He tried to smile, but it made him feel worse. Lor steered him to the edge of the crowd, then led him through the winding halls of the house to a back door.

They stepped out the door and into the cool, quiet night.


	7. Double Entendre

Chapter Seven: Double Entendre

Jack rubbed his eyes as they left the glow of light from the house windows and strolled across the wide lawn. His face felt clammy and cool. He took a few deep breaths of the pleasant air and felt better immediately. Lor led the way to a crisply white gazebo near a huge tree, the little building's paint bright in the moonlight. As they entered it, he saw that it sat on the edge of a pond, the source of the cool breeze in the hot evening. Lor sat down with her back to the water, and Jack lounged beside her, glad to escape the formality of the house.

"Feeling better?" she commented.

"Much."

"The house is terrible in summer. I can barely sleep for the heat some nights, and I come out here a lot. There's usually a nice breeze off the pond."

She turned to look at the water, and the pearls around her neck caught the moonlight, highlighting them. Jack's eyes were drawn to them again. He couldn't seem to look away, and he reached out and picked them up from her neck a bit with one finger.

"Before, I was asking if you wore these a lot." He held the necklace for a moment longer, then let it fall back against her collarbone. The finger that had held it lingered on her skin for half a second, and a shiver ran down her spine before she answered.

"I do." Her hand played with the necklace unconsciously as she spoke. "I feel, sort of naked without them on. I guess it's because I've had them so long. It's like having a ring you wear all the time. You can feel where it was on your hand even when you take it off, and it feels wrong." She smiled, and it was disarmingly wide. "That sounds silly, when I hear myself saying it."

"Makes sense to me." Jack shrugged.

"No need to be nice." Lor's smile blinked off, then returned. "A little lack of manners is appropriate sometimes. I would imagine you know that well enough."

What was she playing at? Jack was silent, pretending to look at the water. His conversation with Martin still rested in the back of his mind. Had her father not said anything to her along the same lines? Of course not, Lor would be perpetually eight to a doting father like him. This was getting old bloody fast though. And really, what did he have to fear from Martin Peters, a hundred yards away in the house, totally unaware?

"I know all about bad manners m'dear"

The dazzling smile remained. "Bet you were a naughty child."

"It didn't end with childhood. Why do you think I'm a pirate?"

"I thought you were in it for the women," Lor replied.

Jack put on a mock serious face. "What are you implying?"

"That living in Tortuga would certainly be an interesting life when you were in town."

"D'you fancy being a bar wench?"

"Oh, not for anyone."

"For who then?"

"I met a very handsome pirate once. Shame I'm stuck with you now." Lor grinned even more broadly, if possible. "He had one leg and a pet turtle…"

"Did you know you could ride sea turtles?" Jack asked teasingly.

"Lucky things."

"What?"

"Getting a ride from Captain Jack Sparrow would certainly be the highlight of the week for anyone." There was a funny intonation in her voice, something that danced carefully between suggestive and joking. Jack turned to look at her more closely, catching her eyes and holding them. There was a long, long pause, then he reached out one hand, tipping up her chin, and kissed her.

For all her comments, Jack had still wondered if Lor would push him away. But she met his kiss eagerly, edging across the bench so he could put his arms around her. Her lips held the taste of her sugary tea, and Jack pushed them apart, sealing their mouths together. One hand was still under her chin, and he slid it down her neck, toying with the cold, smooth pearls. His calloused fingers grazed across her skin as they had before, and he could feel Lor's breath catch slightly. He purposely let his hand fall away from the necklace and traced the line of her collarbone with one finger, his mouth still hotly on hers.

"Lor?!" A voice came from the direction of the house, and they turned in comic unison.

"My father! Shit!" Lor said in an urgent whisper. Jack imagined his eyebrows were near his hairline. Perfect, genteel Lor cursing was a shocker, and oddly attractive. He didn't have much time to ponder this new and interesting bit of her personality, though, because Lor was tugging him up off the bench. "Come on!"

They walked purposefully across the lawn, meeting Martin at the doorway. He let Jack pass, but touched his daughter's arm. "A word my dear girl."

Jack left the room, closed the door, and waited outside, his ear pressed against it. It would be best to know if Martin were getting ready to run him through with that cleverly concealed blade.

"What, in the name of your dear, departed mother, were you doing out there? For half a bloody hour Lorelai?" Her father's voice had the same sharp tone he'd used with Jack earlier. Martin had seen the flush on her cheeks, noticed that the catch of her necklace was twisted around to the front. Had that fool of a pirate forgotten what he'd said already?

"The captain felt ill, and so I walked with him for a time. I felt a bit unwell myself, the air was so stuffy when we were dancing."

"For half an hour?"

"We were speaking, and I suppose time slipped away. I apologize if it seemed indiscreet, but it was mere courtesy."

"Have the courtesy, then, to bid our guests farewell. Most are preparing to leave."

Jack jumped away from the door and hurried up the hall as he heard them approaching. He was back in the study and talking to Bart by the time the entered. Martin made the rounds, saying good evening to the guests, and Lor said goodnight on the porch as they made their way to the carriages. Jack lingered, talking to Bart, until they were the only two left. He allowed the older man to exit first, said goodnight to Martin, then went out as well. Lor was standing to one side, watching the carriages pull away.

"This is goodnight then, eh?" Jack said, leaning on the doorway.

"So it is." Lor turned, and he stepped out of the door to meet her, and kissed her sharply, sliding his tongue over her lips and into her mouth. They lingered on the porch this way for several minutes, until Jack broke away abruptly and grinned.

"I look forward to seeing you Thursday, Miss Peters."

Lor took a deep breath, watching him go down the steps and then up the path that

led away from the plantation. She'd had many suitors, for there were few women in the islands with her kind of wealth, but she'd never been kissed that way before. This Jack Sparrow was fascinating, addicting almost, and she was glad to be going on this voyage. Still half unaware, she put a finger to her lips, wiping away the sheen of dampness that remained there, and retreated into the light of the house.


End file.
